KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has said the PCB should take some bold decisions to avoid fixing in this year’s edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL).

In an interview with ‘The News’ he said that the players who were involved in corruption must face strict punishments so that the other player never even think of such a deed. He said that the PSL had given a new identity to Pakistan cricket and done the same which the IPL did for Indian cricket.

When asked about the current issues in the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Nadeem said that he did not know the reasons behind the issues but wanted them to be resolved to protect Karachi’s cricket.

He said that KCCA needed attention from the PCB.He said that there was immense talent in the city but it needed polishing.Nadeem said that over the years, grassroots level cricket had been demolished in the country.

He added that if he was asked to take over the responsibilities of KCCA, he would do that.He said that one of the reasons behind the debacle of the national team in Tests was the popularity of T20 format.

“Our players are more interested in the shortest format,” he stated.He added that the PCB should conduct more three- and four-day contests. Nadeem is well-known among the cricket community in Karachi and his Pakistan Cricket Club has been working for many years and has produced such players as Sarfraz Ahmed.

He said that he wanted to groom the players of Karachi who could represent the country.Nadeem said that his dream was to buy the team of Karachi but unfortunately he could not. The owner of Quetta Gladiators said that all the foreign players of their team had agreed to visit Pakistan if the team qualified for the knock-out stage of the PSL.

Nadeem said that they had made an agreement with all foreign players and all were willing to visit Pakistan.He added that Kevin Pietersen, who had not arrived last year, had shown inclination to visit Pakistan this time.Nadeem said that they were hoping to win the tournament this time.He said that their team lost the final last year as the foreign players refused to visit the country.

Pakistan and Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfraz Ahmed always goes for the win no matter what the occasion or the location is, thanks to his super-competitive nature.

But hours before leaving for the UAE to participate in the 2018 Pakistan Super League, Sarfraz said he will try even harder to win the T20 tournament this time, since the final will be in his hometown.

"The final this time is taking place in my hometown of Karachi," Sarfraz, under whose stewardship the Gladiators have played brilliantly the past two years but fell at the final hurdle, said. "God willing, if we get the chance to play in the final again, we will try to win it."

"When you keep playing short formats your fitness responds accordingly because there is less time between games," said Sarfraz. "Then you go into the ODIs or Tests [and it shows]. So I agree with what he said that the more we play the longer formats our cricket will improve.

History
Quetta Gladiators are not a star-studded team, but they have emerged as the most successful one in the PSL's short history. They have made each of the two finals so far, driven by a strong core of domestic talent and led by Pakistan's all-format captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Not bad for the franchise that costs the least out of the six playing the tournament. In fact, Quetta were favourites to win last year having beaten the team they would meet in the final, Peshawar Zalmi, in the play-offs. But many of their in-form overseas players did not travel to Lahore and a depleted side was soundly beaten.

Team overview
Quetta have retained Sarfraz, Kevin Pietersen and Rilee Rossouw, the three pillars of their batting line-up. They have also placed faith in left-arm seamer Mir Hamza, batsman Umar Amin and allrounder Anwar Ali, even though he had a mediocre season in 2016.

Their highest run-scorer Ahmed Shehzad has been shipped off; he will now play for Multan Sultans. Umar Gul is gone. Mohammad Nabi is gone. Zulfiqar Babar and Tymal Mills are no longer on their roster either. The only player that Quetta gave up and bought back was Carlos Brathwaite, and he ended up having to be replaced. The West Indian allrounder will be busy playing the World Cup qualifiers in March and so Quetta invested in seamer Jofra Archer, who was among the players of the tournament in the BBL 2017-18.

Rashid Khan adds to their bowling strength as well, but the legspin sensation and the only Afghanistan player picked up in the PSL draft will not be available for the entire season. The same applies with Bangladesh's Mahmudullah. Shane Watson, who has played 15 matches across two seasons, is their Platinum player.

Strengths
With Pietersen, Watson and Rossouw, Quetta can blow teams away with their top order alone. In Sarfraz, they have a shrewd and capable captain. And the variety in their bowling line-up, which includes the left-arm-spinning Pakistan Under-19 captain Hasan Khan, will prove handy as well.

Rilee Rossouw guides the ball to fine leg Getty Images

Weakness
It's a good thing Quetta have good options at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 because there doesn't appear to be enough firepower lower down. They have quality spinners in Rashid and Mohammad Nawaz but Sharjah is usually known to help fast bowlers, putting extra onus on Archer to adapt to UAE conditions.

Key foreign players
Pietersen, who intends to retire by the end of the year, is set for his final stint with Quetta. He has been an integral part of the team, scoring 456 runs in 18 matches at a strike-rate of 140.74. His unbeaten 88 off 42 balls against Lahore Qalandars in Sharjah was nothing short of a classic. Can the 37-year old maintain his lofty standards in his PSL swansong?

Under-the-radar local playersSaad Ali recently rose to prominence, becoming the leading run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier first-class competition. The 24-year-old left-hander tallied 957 at 68.35 for United Bank Limited with three hundreds and three fifties. He is relatively new to T20 cricket but his List A record - 1448 runs at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 84 - reflects his ability to adjust to shorter formats.

Quetta's emerging player from the previous season, Hasan Khan, continues to develop in 2018. He led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup in February and his skill as a left-arm spinner is considerable. He took 2 for 10 on PSL debut, helping his team defend a total of 136 in spectacular fashion.

Despite being arguably the best team in all of Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Quetta Gladiators have so far failed to lift the trophy, losing in the finals each time in the last two years.

Their disappointments of the previous years mean the Sarfraz Ahmed-led Gladiators must be more determined than ever to go for the kill.

With a balanced side that has several explosive batsmen such as Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Jason Roy and Rilee Rossouw in their ranks, the Gladiators have every reason to believe that they will be third-time lucky.

The presence of the West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards as mentor will continue to add value to the team. Somebody as experienced as Sir Richards pushes the players to perform to the best of their abilities, something that has been visible in Sarfraz’s men throughout the PSL.

Strengths and weaknesses

A strong batting line-up is the Gladiators’ strength. Players like Pietersen, Watson, Roy and Rossouw possess the ability to turn the game around at any point, which is exactly what Sarfraz would expect of them.

But, as it is often said, it's the bowlers who win you games — and this is where the Gladiators are lacking. Not having a strong bowling attack puts their batting under a lot of pressure and, in case of a batting collapse, Sarfraz does not have many options to fall back on.

They will not have the services of one of their top performers Ahmed Shehzad, who has moved to the Multan Sultans.

Only time will tell if an over reliance on batsmen would prove to be a problem. Sarfraz has proven himself to be a smart captain and a quick learner and all eyes will be on him as to how he plays his cards.

Player availability
The West Indian hard-hitter Carlos Braithwaite will not be available this season as he will be helping his national side against associate nations to secure a berth at the 2019 World Cup.

His compatriot Jofra Archer will be at Sarfraz’s disposal for a short duration but he too has to leave for international duty.

As their replacements, the Gladiators took on board Australian all-rounders Josh Hastings and Chris Green as well as South Africa’s Albie Morkel.

Player to watch: Kevin Pietersen

T20 superstar Pietersen has been phenomenal with the bat for the Gladiators in the previous two editions of the PSL.

He is a valuable asset for the franchise. For many youngsters, the 37-year-old England star has been a mentor — his many on-field interactions with Sarfraz show that he continues to play a leading role.

Pietersen has also been scoring runs for his side.

He was the second-highest run-getter for the Gladiators in the first season, scoring 215 runs at a strike rate of 130.30 in nine games.

The second time around, he grabbed the third spot, scoring 241 runs at a strike-rate of 151.57 in nine games.

In the absence of Shehzad, the Gladiators will be relying on the towering batsman even more.

DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz said on Saturday that he successfully implemented his plan to maintain good line and length, and not to give any room to Lahore Qalandars skipper Brendon McCullum.

Nawaz bowled the most economical spell in the Pakistan Super League's history. His bowling stats in the match were: two wickets in four overs with one maiden while giving only four runs. Archer took three wickets in his four-over quota.

Speaking to Geo.tv, Nawaz said that the skipper Sarfraz Ahmed planned to put fielders in the deep during the batting of Sunil Narine and Brendon McCullum, and the instructions were clear to him, to not give any room to the Qalandars’ skipper.

Responding to a question, Nawaz said that Pakistan Super League was a career turning point in his career, and has given immense confidence to him.

“The youngsters learn a lot from the experiences of the legends of the game. With every coming edition, it is benefitting Pakistan cricket.”

“He’s a very good captain. Just trust him and he will deliver. He has been with me for 15 years, he plays for his country, for us, for his family. He gives his all to the game,” said the Gladiators owner.

Omar, who also owns Omar Associates, said the team learned from its mistakes in the first game.

“We sorted out our mistakes in the second match. And look [at the results]: Mohammad Nawaz created history [by bowling the most economical spell in PSL history].”

He also shared his excitement for the final of the tournament, which will be held in Karachi on March 25.

“I believe whoever plays best will reach the final,” the owner said.

Omar also lauded West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards’ contribution to the team.

“He is our real ambassador. He is a legend. A great man to have in your corner. Moin Khan, Azam Khan.. we are all a unit, a family.”

Quetta Gladiators outclassed Lahore Qalandars by 9 wickets on Saturday to register their first win of this season.

DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators’ mentor and batting legend Sir Vivian Richards is looking forward to the day when Pakistan can host all the matches of the PSL.

Speaking to Geo.tv here on Tuesday, the West Indian icon expressed hope that the fans would soon be able to see their favourite stars in action on their home soil.

Sir Viv Richards

“Playing away from home is a bit disappointing. If more matches can be played in Pakistan, that would be a plus. Even though there are many Pakistani fans here [in UAE], it’s not the same. If everyone gets on board, we can take PSL to Pakistan.”

Richards lauded the standard of the PSL, calling it a “high prestige” tournament.

“A lot of great players have graced this league. The Quetta Gladiators [management] make me feel at home here. Everyone is like a family,” he said.

The former cricketer said he believes his team has enough good players to win the tournament, and heaped praise on the captain.

“Sarfraz Ahmed is a magnificent person, who wants to do well every time. He thinks out of the box, he’s very smart. A true gladiator.”

DUBAI - Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has said that his team will produce wonders in Pakistan Super League (PSL) and try their best to win the coveted trophy.

Talking to The Nation, Nadeem said: “Unfortunately, despite scoring hefty runs in the first edition, we failed to defend, while in the second edition, our top foreign players could not come to play in Lahore, which was main reason behind our loss.”

When Nadeem, who belongs to Karachi, was asked about the reason of opting Gladiators than Karachi Kings, he said: “My first choice was Karachi and I also did a bid for it, but after that, my second priority was Gladiators, as I feel Quetta deserves more attention and I am thankful to Almighty, I got Gladiators and now I serving Quetta team, just like I did for rest of the country especially for Karachi. Ever since, I have bought Gladiators, the response is amazing and I feel, I did the right thing. The way the people of Balochistan have responded, they deserve to be acknowledged and I feel soon cricket will spread to all corners of that deprived province.”

Nadeem has long experience of running Omar Associates cricket team, which played Ramzan Cups, Grade-II and other tournaments, but purchasing a franchise is something different. On this, Nadeem said: “Although my family was objecting to buy a franchise, yet my 35-yar passion for cricket was there. Yes, financially it was a huge risk, but my passion led me to take this bold decision, thanks to Almighty, I feel I had made right choice, with passage of time, financial aspect will also improve.”

He said he couldn’t play his favorite games because he was busy in business. “I have played hockey and I have a great passion for cricket. My club Pakistan Cricket Club has been prevailing, as it has huge talent while I and Azam Khan know each other for last 25 years. our club players are playing at all levels and representing all the franchises, which is a great honour. It is not a big deal that I played or not, but the thing is I have been serving Pakistan cricket and I will continue to do so.”

About his plans for development of cricket in Quetta after PSL-3, Nadeem said: “Other teams have good media partners and they get huge promotions, but we are weak in this area, otherwise, we are working on such plans and have been unearthing fresh talent for last three years in Quetta. We conducted three inter-school tournaments in which 32 schools took part. We need to build academies and infrastructure. The PCB couldn’t dig talent for last 70 years, so people are expecting from us to find fresh talent in only two years, which is not fair, but let me assure all that one day, we will surely achieve this task too.”

It is worth mentioning here that his club gave the national team Sarfraz Ahmad, who is captaining the national team in all the formats. “Sarfraz is with me for last 15 years and it gave us lot of help. He is good captain and champion skipper, who helped Pakistan win Champions Trophy. Moin is also a great coach and superb mentor while SirViv is the greatest batsmen of all time, who himself is a great mentor and action, so therefore, I don’t need any showbizcelebrity with the team. Let me tell all that the way SirViv is emotionally attached with Quetta Gladiators, he is not even attached with the West Indian team.

“All the players are like family and playing like a unit. Winning or losing doesn’t matter, the thing that matters for me is positive cricket and excellent sportsmanship. We are ambassadors of Pakistan, so we all must put Pakistan way ahead over our personal ambitions,” Nadeem concluded.

DUBAI: Shane Watson, the former Australian all-rounder and Quetta Gladiator’s opening batsman, has said that there is an ‘incredible’ amount of bowling talent in Pakistan that will make its mark in international cricket in the near future.

Speaking to Dawn exclusively here on Tuesday after the Quetta Gladiators’ practice session at the ICC Cricket Academy, Watson said, “There is oceans of talent in Pakistan Super League (PSL) so it is really hard to single out one person in particular”.

“There are so many skillful players out there, especially when it comes to the bowlers whether it is the spin bowling options or fast bowlers. There is going to be plenty of talent coming through for Pakistan. That’s for sure,” he added.

Watson also commented on his experience with the Quetta Gladiators so far and said that it has been fun working with the new team. “Quetta is a wonderful team. We have a relaxed environment in our camp but obviously we have had a lot of success in the last two seasons, making place in the finals on both occasions, so expectations are high,” he said. He also said that he feels ‘lucky’ to be working under the likes of Sir Vivian Richards and Moin Khan.

Watson was a part of the Islamabad United for the first two seasons of PSL before he was picked by Quetta Gladiators for the third season.

SHARJAH: Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfraz Ahmed blamed two, three bad balls bowled in the last stage of the match to be the reason behind the loss against Peshawar Zalmi.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, the skipper said that though the result has been disappointing but credited the team for staging a fight back in the match.

“We almost had completely lost the match but the way our fast bowlers; John Hastings and Shane Watson made the comeback was very commendable,” he said.

Responding to a question on why he chose fast bowler Anwar Ali over spinner Muhammad Nawaz in the final over the game, he said: “If the fast bowler had bowled in the right area we could have returned in the match. We made a comeback due to fast bowlers so we took a chance.”

“You never know if the spinner had been there. Anything could have happened.”

Sarfarz appreciated the quality of bowling being bowled in the ongoing tournament, saying that the batsmen are not chances to play in the tournament

“Batsmen are not getting chances to play effortlessly,” he added.

The skipper said that as the team has won and lost two games each, it will sit together to decide its best playing 11 for the upcoming matches.

“Batting needs to be worked out. Only Shane Watson has played 50-run inning, the top-order is yet to show a big innings in the tournament,” he said.

Sharjah: Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfraz Ahmad is known for his shrewd captaincy.

As Pakistan skipper he has often made the right moves and even won the ICC Champions Trophy last year, but on Thursday night, in the close match against Peshawar Zalmi, Sarfraz was in a dilemma as to whether to introduce spin or pace for the last over.

Darren Sammy, who had injured his leg, may have found it difficult to use his feet to score runs but hit the pacers comfortable for two sixes and a boundary and won the match for Peshawar with two balls to spare.

When asked whether it was a mistake to bowl a pacer in the last over, Safraz said: “We were discussing whether we should bowl a pacer or a spinner for the last over. There was a point when the match had slipped out of our hands but since the fast bowlers got us back, I thought of going with pacer Anwar (Ali) for the final over.”

But Sarfraz was quick to admit his mistake. “In hindsight a spinner could have been an option, but we need to back ourselves. From the batting point of view we missed a few runs from the point of view of the pitch. It is disheartening to lose this close game,” added Sarfraz, who then lauded his team’s fighting spirit.

“The boys showed a lot of heart. They will learn a lot from here. We need to improve our batting. We should’ve scored a bit more. We also need a bit more variation with our bowling,” he added.

When asked whether low scores in the ongoing PSL is due to pitches or good bowling, Sarfraz said: “The quality of bowling in all the teams are good though the pitch is also a bit slow. Batsmen are not getting chances to play effortlessly. Our batting also needs to be ironed out. Only Shane Watson has played 50-run inning, the top-order is yet to show a big innings in the tournament.”

Sarfraz wants his team to excel in the coming matches. “We have won and lost two games each. We will sit together to decide its best playing 11 for the upcoming matches,” he said.

Sarfraz is confident that his team will go all the way: “Though this loss is disappointing the good sign for us is the fact that the whole team is fighting,” he concluded.

DUBAI: Pakistan national cricket team and Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has on Monday expressed confidence in his PSL franchise to turn things around in the tournament after a couple of disappointing outings.

Speaking t0 the media, Sarfaraz said that there are plenty more games to be played and that with veterans like Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson in the ranks, the Gladiators are capable enough to make a comeback.

Lauding Sarfaraz, Kevin Pietersen said that the Pakistan skipper is liked by everyone in the team and that he has a ‘great cricketing mind’. The former England test cricketer also urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to continue with Sarfaraz as the captain for the World Cup 2019.

Quetta Gladiators have suffered back to back defeats at the hands of Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans, pushing them down to the fifth spot in the points table with just four points in five fixtures.

The team is scheduled to face Multan Sultans on Wednesday as they look to avenge their convincing defeat at the hands of the new entrants earlier this month.

DUBAI: Shane Watson, the former Australian all-rounder and Quetta Gladiator’s opening batsman, has said that there is an ‘incredible’ amount of bowling talent in Pakistan that will make its mark in international cricket in the near future.

Speaking to Dawn exclusively here on Tuesday after the Quetta Gladiators’ practice session at the ICC Cricket Academy, Watson said, “There is oceans of talent in Pakistan Super League (PSL) so it is really hard to single out one person in particular”.

“There are so many skillful players out there, especially when it comes to the bowlers whether it is the spin bowling options or fast bowlers. There is going to be plenty of talent coming through for Pakistan. That’s for sure,” he added.

Watson also commented on his experience with the Quetta Gladiators so far and said that it has been fun working with the new team. “Quetta is a wonderful team. We have a relaxed environment in our camp but obviously we have had a lot of success in the last two seasons, making place in the finals on both occasions, so expectations are high,” he said. He also said that he feels ‘lucky’ to be working under the likes of Sir Vivian Richards and Moin Khan.

Watson was a part of the Islamabad United for the first two seasons of PSL before he was picked by Quetta Gladiators for the third season.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan cricket teams’ most gifted middle order batsmen Asad Shafiq said Monday he was working very hard to prove critics that he is capable of playing in any given format.

In an exclusive interview to The Nation on Monday, he said he was enjoying the role of batting as opener as Sarfraz and he had played lot of cricket together and he knows his game very well. “It was never a rocket science for me to open the innings as I had played as an opener in National one day cups previously and enjoyed my role.”

Asad said Quetta Gladiators were highly fortunate to have a blend of youth and experience the presence of Sarfraz, Kevin Petersen, Shane Watson, Rossouw and other international players is a great help.

“Batting with Watson, always gives you extra confidence as he had played for Australia and he is a very good partner to bat with. He is very supportive and always ready to help you. I have learnt a great deal from him. While KP as we all know is always there and is also huge boost for all the teammates as he is always talking telling and bucking all to give more than 100 percent. He is a super star but is very down to earth person and always smiling and ready to give words of wisdom.”

He said he has entered the Pakistan Super League third edition with rich form as he had performed in the recently concluded national one day cup and also in List A. “I have scored loads of runs both in departmental and regional one day cups. I can understand that I am not so far been able to live up to the reputation and play the way I was playing very recently. But one thing is sure, I am a quick learner and I know that it is only a matter of time before I start to produce what I am best known for. The PSL is only half way through and the tempo is building with each passing day. I am working very hard to cash each and every opportunity provided to me and respond to the trust and confidence shown in me by Quetta Gladiators team management, captain and Nadeem Omar.”

He hoped Gladiators would bounce back in the event and would replicate the success they achieved in previous two editions.

When this scribe asked Asad what does it means for not only him, Sarfraz and all other players, especially those who belong to Karachi playing the final at National Stadium in front of home crowd, Asad said it would be perfect to play in the final. “As all know, we belong to Karachi and the people anxiously waiting for us to play in the final. I am more concerned about Gladiators reaching the final and winning this time convincingly.

I don’t care against whom we had to play. Sarfraz is a very supportive and highly sensible and quick learner. He knows his mistakes and is the best man to take Gladiators out of present situation and entire team is united right behind Sarfraz and very soon our results will speak,” Asad concluded.

DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfraz Ahmed believes that the third edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) has entered in its real phase now as all the teams are well aware of the situation at the points table and strengths and weaknesses of the rest of the teams.

The most successful team of PSL’s first two editions, Quetta Gladiators have failed to put up an impressive show during the first leg of the PSL as they have registered only two wins in the five games they played. However, Sarfraz is still hopeful for a comeback.

“Result is disappointing so far, but the situation is not out of our hands as half of the tournament is still to be played,” Sarfraz Ahmed told ARY News. “I think the real tournament has just begun as everyone knows about the situation at points table, so we will try to rectify our mistakes and not repeat them in our next five matches,” he added.

The Champions Trophy-winning skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed also shared his experience of captaining a side that has international stars like Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson.

“All the players in the team are extremely cooperative, whether it is Chris Green or Ben Laughlin who have recently joined the squad, we have KP playing for three seasons then we have Riley Russow in the ranks, all these players are very cooperative, they tend to play as per the situation, so it is all good,” he stated.

Gladiators’ captain further talked about his team’s big encounters against Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings as they hold first and second positions on the table respectively.

“Both teams have played exceptionally well so far,” he said. “It is Multan Sultans’ first season and they have played really well, whereas, Karachi Kings have also been very impressive so far,” he added.

“All six sides are extremely competitive this season, there is no team in the tournament against whom you can guarantee a win. The quality of the league has improved and it is a positive sign for Pakistan cricket,” he concluded.

ISLAMABAD-Former Australian all-rounder and backbone of Quetta Gladiators Shane Watson has said he was feeling highly blessed and privileged to share dressing room with the likes of Sir Viv Richards, Moin Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kevin Pertersen and others.

Watson expressed these views during an exclusive interview to The Nation on Tuesday. He said he grew up idolising Sir Viv Richards and it was like dream come true to be able to spend some time and learn under his kind presence. “Frankly speaking, I would have not even thought about such wonderful experience of having cricket gods alongside me. I feel newborn and feel highly proud.”

Watson said he has been asking a lot of questions to Sir Viv and joked that by the time Pakistan Super League third edition ends, Sir Viv would be sick of him for pestering him constantly with questions.

The Australian all-rounder said despite giving some good performances in patches, Gladiators were yet to play good cricket and produce what was the highlight of Gladiators performances.

“Each and every individual is contributing towards the cause of helping team to show excellent results. We are struggling to find rhythm and haven’t been producing results for the last few matches. We are not producing results as a unit but I know and fully realised that this team has all the ingredients to come back strongly in the second half of the PSL. All is not lost yet. We should have played much better cricket but sometimes expectations level is too high and it resulted in few ordinary or unexpected results. But we are bound to click and that too timely. We know there is a lot of competition for places and we can’t afford to let it further slip.”

He said Quetta batsmen needed to bat with more responsibility and hopefully the things will come good for us. Watson also advised his bowlers to execute the plans and bend their backs more and avoid wayward bowling.

“There is no rocket science require to streamline things. We need to be more sharp in the field, should hold catches, not concede too many unwanted runs and ensure fielders are placed at the right spots. I personally believe Gladiators have played very positive and attractive cricket over the course of the PSL and hopefully the team will stage a very strong and highly positive comeback in the next phase of the league. We are all one unit and we need to deliver very soon as further slip ups could spell disaster for the fans and players.”

When this scribe asked about in case Gladiators make it to the play offs and then to semi-final, whether he is willing to travel to Pakistan and help Gladiators move a step closer to the title, Watson replied: “Frankly for the time being, I am fully focused on helping my team to first ensure a place in the play offs. Then comes the next question of whether I would travel or not. Let me tell one thing, when the time comes and Gladiators ensure their place in the semi-finals, only then I will decide. First of all, I need to involve my family as well before making the final decision. Right now, the concentration is to help Gladiators qualify for the play offs. We have good rest and now we all are ready to go and slowly but gradually climb back into top 4,” Watson concluded.

DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators, the runners-up of both first and second edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL), are keen to take their best possible and available players to Karachi for the final of this season.

Their captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who is also Pakistan captain for all the three formats, when asked about the unavailability of Kevin Peitersen for the matches to be played in Pakistan, said that they are putting in great efforts and will be taking the best possible international players to the final which is scheduled to be held in Karachi on March 25.

“Pietersen’s presence does matter but for now we are trying to make it to the finals and then take the best possible and available international players to Pakistan,” said Sarfraz while speaking to Dawn News.

Talking about PCB Chairman Najam Sethi’s reconfirmation on the PSL final being held in Karachi followed by the West Indies tour , the skipper said that there can’t be anything better than playing international matches in Karachi.

“Playing matches in Karachi with international players is a positive step and a great news for Karachi. Matches are beginning to be held in different cities of Pakistan which is so good to see,” he added.

“Karachi is my city and and we would love to play there. But first we have to qualify and for that we will have to win almost all of our next matches,” he said.

After five matches, Quetta Gladiators stand only above the winless Lahore Qalandars on points table which is not a pretty scenario for them. However, Sarfraz is very hopeful that his team will bounce back in the remaining matches.

“I agree that our performance was a little disappointing, but I am very hopeful that we will bounce back in rest of our matches by overcoming our mistakes,” he said. “We have worked on the weak areas and will be going with full strength in the next matches and qualify for the final.”

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